A rose by any other name
Giesen rose, Giesen Group, NZ, 0% ABV, $18.99
Love finding a no-alcohol wine that tastes like the real thing. A few roses I've tried taste more like cordial than wine, sweet and cloying, leaving you wonder why you're not actually drinking the real thing. That's a whole different discussion but for the moment no-alcohol wines are my thing. Giesen runs their sell-out range through something called a spinning cone to remove the alcohol, how that works I don't know, but what results is a crisp and refreshingly dry texture. There are aromas of white peach, apple and strawberries and it's as pale as can be. And delicious. Check out the sauvignon blanc and pinot gris and keep an eye out for a merlot sometime in the near future.
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Karen Hardy
Galaxy crescendo in a can
Black Hops Galactic Symphony, hazy India pale ale, $27 for a four-pack
The universe is famously endless. So too are the iterations of the juicy, fruity beers classified as hazies that now line shelves. It's a name that's quickly losing its relevance; what originally pointed only to opacity has now become a byword for stonefruit and citrus, be it pineapple or grapefruit.
With another beer dubbed Troposphere, Gold Coast outfit Black Hops are no strangers to taking drinkers out of this world. With several of their brews gracing an annual century of top tins, they're doing something right. The ubiquitous galaxy hops likely helped inspire the name, but it's the restraint here that makes the beer one of Black Hops' better new offerings in recent times. It's a standout in a crowded field, a star glowing in the night sky, and the kind of limited release that has few limitations.
Matt Carr
Paradox in two grapes
Miss Zilm 2021 Clare Valley Fiano, $27, 4 stars (out of six)
Today a paradox - two uncommon grape varieties, one that was first planted in Australia 154 years ago and the other a relative newcomer. Pinot meunier is the old-timer and the other fiano, a white of south-west Italy's Campania Region origins. Its Australian debut was in the Chalmers Nursery in Mildura 20 years ago and my maiden encounter was in reviewing a north-east Victorian Rutherglen Estates 2009 Fiano in 2013. This 2021 is from the eponymous brand of winemaker Keeda Zilm's Clare Valley Auburn area brand. It's brassy-tinged straw and has an aromatic floral nose, ripe white peach front-palate flavour and middle-palate pear, lemon curd and sherbet. Slatey acid plays at the finish, buy it at misszilmwines.com.au and drink with scallops.
John Lewis
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Best's meunier excels
Best's Great Western 2021 Young Vine Pinot Meunier, $35, 4.5 stars (out of six)
A cousin of pinot noir, pinot meunier is among France's most widely planted grapes, a prized Bordeaux reds component and one, but least dominant, of champagne's three classic base wines. It is in many Australian sparklers but rare as a straight table red. Exceptions are Best's Great Western reds from Victoria's Grampians area. Best's first pinot meunier plantings were made in 1868 and this Young Vine is from vines planted in 1970. It is at bestswines.com.au the Best's Road, Great Western, winery and bottle shops and has 12 per cent alcohol, ruby red hues, rose petal aromas and vibrant raspberry front-palate flavour. Bramble jelly, blueberry, spice and mocha oak show on the middle palate and the finish has smooth earth tannins. Great for coq au vin.
John Lewis